Coil-timer-distributor unit



OCL 7, 1941- J. T.`F|Tzs"|MMoNs 'ET Al.

COIL-TIMER-DISTRIBUTOR UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet l vFiled April 22, 1940 f ATTORNEYJ,

Oct 7 1941-l v J. T. FlTzslMMoNs ET/M Y 2,257,844 l COIL-TIMER-DISTR'IBUTOR UNIT l Filed April 22,. 19549 5 sheets-sheet 2 [lll ` ATTORNEY( Oct. 7, 1941. r i. "r. Frrzsl'MMoNs-ETAL" y 2,257,844

COIL-TIMER-DISTRIBUTOR UNITl Filed 'April 22',l 1940y s sheets-sheet 3 ATTORNEu.

Patented Oct. 7, 1941 John T. Fitzsimmons and Herman L. -HartzelL Anderson, Ind., assignors :to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of y Delaware .Application April 22, 1940, Seriall No. 330,848

(Cl. 12S-148) '4 Claims.

This invention relates to ignition apparatus for lautomotive vehicles and particularly to tractors where the engine and its accessories are more or less exposed to ldirt and moisture.

One of the yobjects of the invention is to provide in a unitary structure a combined ignition coil, timer and distributor unit which is substantially dirt and moisture r`proof in construction. In this connection it is a further object to provide a unitary coil, timer and distributor unit Vwhich can be substituted for magneto type ignition.

Further objects and ladvantages of the pres- -ent invention Will be apparent from the followjing description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a coil timer and distributor unit embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a 'sectional View thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. Y1.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are Asectional views taken respectively on the lines 3 3, 4-'4, 5-5 `and 6-6 of Fig. E2.

Fig. 7 is an Yinside or back view of the distributor cover.

Referring to Fig. 2, the mainframe 20 of the unit comprises a tubular portion 2| .having apertured ears or lugs 22 and 23 cooperating with bolts or screws to secure the frame tothe frame fof the engine with which Ythe ignition unit is associated. The frame 2|) provides a side pocket 24 for housing an ignition coil |89, to be described. .A partition '25 extends across the tubular portion 2| and supports along bearing 26 for a drive shaft l21 driven by the engine through a coupling device including an engine-driven part (not shown) and a cooperating coupling mem- 'ber 28 attached tothe shaftZ'l.

Referring also to Fig. 6, the shaft 21 supports Vand drives a Weight plate 30 carrying pivot studs 3| upon which Weights 32 are pivoted. Weights :32 are provided with notches 33 for receiving pins'S carried by plate 35 fixed to a sleeve 35 Aintegral with a timer cam 31 (see also Fig-5). The weights 32 are normallyurged toward the shaft 21 by springs .38 ccnne'cted'with studs .39

attached to the weight plate 30 and the studs 4!! attached -to the weights -3-2. The Astuds -40 extend through 'arcuate slots 4| Yprovided in the `plate 30 so that .the studs 40 may cooperate with the plate 30 to limit movement of the Weights 32. -As the speed of the shaft -21increases, the weights '32 ymove away from the 'shaft 21 .to effect-counterclockwise Vrotationof the cam 31 relative to shaft 21 and thus to advance the timing of the ignition, the direction of 'rotation of shaft 21 being counter-clockwise as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6.

The cam 31 cooperates with the rubbing block -415 of an ignition -circuit breaker lever 46 provided with a ber bushing 41 journalled in a stud 48 attached-'to the circuit breaker plate 49 secured Within the tubular member 2| vof frame 2U by kscrews 50. The lever 46 vcarries a contact 5| for `engaging a contact 52 carried by a bracket 53 .whichis pivoted around the stud 48 for purposes .of adjustment. Adjustment of the bracket 53 is effected .by Stud 54 rotatably secured to the plate -49 and having an eccentric head 55 received vby aslot 56 in bracket 53. The head 55 is provided With a 'slot for receiving a screw driver in order to turn the vstud 54 and thus to effect angular "adjustment of the plate 53 with respect to its pivot-48. Movement of the bracket 53 would vary the distance between the rubbi-ng'block 45 and the axis of the cam `3-1. This adjustment is usually made in 'order to compensate for wear on the rubbing block. 'Ihe bracket 53 is vsecuredto the plate r49k in the vdesired position of adjustment by a screw '51 Vpassing through an arcuate slot 58 in bracket 53. The lever 4'6 is insulated from the .plate 49. Current is conducted to klever 46 and the movable contact 5| through a leaf spring member 6i! biased -to urge'the rubbing block 35 toward the caml 31. Leaf spring E!) is attached `to a terminal screw '6| insulatingly supported by the tubular housing 2|. To reduce sparking .across thecontacts a condenser 52 is connected in -Vparallel with the 'contacts Condenser r62 in- -clude's foil strip-s, one of which is connected with .a terminallead 63 attached to the terminal 6|. The other foil strip of the ycondenser is grounded Yon thernetallic condenser case to which is atta'ched abracket 64' fixed to the plate 49` by a yscrew '65.

'The left end of the tubular housing 2| is closed by a nonconducting plate 1U sealed by .gasket 1| -Csee Figs. 9 and 10).A Plate 10 is secured by screws 12 (see Fig. 3). Plate' 'iii is a carrier for a pair of reductionv gears 13 and 14 attached respectively to shafts 15 vand 16 journalled respectively in' bearings 1:1 and 1B. :These bearings are `made 'ducting distributor cover 90.

right end wall of the coil housing of porous metal and are saturated with lubricant. As the temperature of the bearings increase this lubricant may ooze out of the bearing surfaces. In such case it is absorbed by felt washers 19 and 80 associated with these bearings. As the bearing temperature decreases the lubricant will be reabsorbed by the bearing. Shaft 15 is retained in its bearing 11 by a forked plate 8| attached to the carrier by screw 82 The plate 8l straddles a reduced portion of the shaft 15. Shaft is provided with a tongue 83 received by a slot 84 in the end of shaft 21. As the cross slot 84 is not diametrically disposed, the shaft 15 can be connected with shaft 21 only in one direction. The shaft 16 is provided with a head 85 which receives and drives a distributor rotor block 86. This head 85 is provided with a slot (not shown) and the socket of the rotatry block 86 is provided with a similar lug so that the block 86 will nt the head 85 only in one direction. Therefore the relationship between the shaft 81 and the distributor rotor 86 is fixed by the connections which have been referred to. Shaft 21 rotates at engine speed; therefore the cam 31 has lobes equal in number to half the number of engine cylinders, for example, two lobes for a li-cylinder, 4- cycle engine. As the ratio between gears 13 and 14 is 2 to l, the rotor 86 will revolve at one-half engine speed.

The rotor 86 carries a segment 81 which swings past distributor posts 88 carried by a non-con- Each post 88 is integral with a metallic socket 89 embedded in a tubular sleeve 9| for receiving a spark plug cable carrying a terminal clip or plug member for making electrical connection between the cable and the metal socket 89. The rotor 86 carries a center button 92 on the free end of a resilient arm 93 attached to segment 81. Button 92 bears against a carbon button 94 carried by metal stud 95 fixed to the distributor cover. Stud 95 is surrounded by Va non-conducting sleeve portion 96 of cover 90 to increase the insulation path between the stud 95 and any of thefdistributor posts 88. Sleeve 96 is notched `at 91 to receive a metal strap 98 attached by screw 99 to cover 90. Strap 98 engages the high tension terminal l0l of coil l0.

Coil |00 comprises a non-conducting case |02 molded preferably of Bakelite. The right end of the case |02 i'lts snugly in the cylindrical cavity 24x provided by the housing 20 and forming a part of the pocket 24. The housing |02 encloses the concentrically arranged parts comprising an outer magnetizable tube |03, a primary coil |64, a secondary coil |05. a center magnetizable core |06 including a center rod |01 threadedly connected with an insert |08 in the Coil housing |02 carries terminal inserts ||0 and ||I provided respectively with threaded portions ||2 and H3. The outside lead of the secondary coil |05 and the inside lead of the primary coil |04 are attached to terminal ||0. The outside lead of primary coil |04 is attached to insert The coil housing |02 is closed by cover ||4 having apertured ears for receiving the screws ||2 and ||3 which cooperate with nuts ||5 to secure the cover ||4 to the housing |02. A sealing gasket |4a is compressed between the housing |02 vand cover H4. The cover ||4 is also centrally apertured to receive the rod |01 having its left end threaded to receive a nut ||6, the screwing down of which forces metal Washers H1 against a rubber gasket received in a 75 socket provided by the tubular extension ||9 of the cover |4. Thus the hole in the cover through which the rod |01 passes is sealed against the ingress of moisture. The left hand end surface of rod |01, provides the high tension terminal |0|.

The right end Wall of the housing |02 is provided with a skirt |20 and the cover ||4 with a skirt |2| for locating the tubular, magnetic member |03 which may consist of a roll of slitted magnetizable sheet metal. The right end Wall of the housing |02 is provided with a skirt |22 and the cover ||4 with a skirt |23, said skirts bearing against the roll of insulating paper which separates and insulates the layers of the secondary winding |05, thus locating and preventing the shifting of the secondary winding assembly as Well as the primary winding |04 which is wound thereon. The exterior of the cover |04 is provided with parallel skirts |24 cooperating with the center bushing I9 to provide pockets which receive an inverted U-shaped skirt |25 integral with the cover 90 (see Fig. 7). This construction increases the leakage distance between the high tension terminal |0| and the primary terminals ||2 and ||3.

Cover 90 carries an insert |30 threaded to receive a screw by which the insert may be connected with a wire connected with the current source. Insert |30 has a socket |30a which receives a coiled spring conductor |3| soldered to the washer ||5 associated with terminal ||2. When the cover 90 is attached to the housing 20 by screws 90a (Fig. l), an electrical connection is made between the current source and primary terminal `||0. Primary terminal is connected with the ignition circuit breaker lever 46 by a wire |35 connected with insulated screw terminal 6I.

Between the cover 90 and the housing 20 is located a sealing gasket |40 (see Fig. 8). When the screws 90a are tightened this gasket cooperates with cover 90 and housing 20 to provide an eilective seal particularly against the entrance of mud which may be splashed against the exterior of the ignition unit. While it is contemplated to seal the unit against the entrance of moisture and dirt as much as possible, it is also necessary to provide for the ventilation of the distributor chamber. This is accomplished by a vent or breather passage including a hole |4| in the lower left hand part of the housing 20 (see Fig. 2), a slot |42 in gasket |40 and the passage |43 provided by the cover 90.

The reduction gear carrier plate 10 is provided with an arcuate notch |45 (see Fig, 9) for receiving a lower left end portion of the ignitionv coil |00. When the cover 90 is secured in position a shoulder |46 thereof bears against the coil cover ||4 to urge the coil into the pocket 24 and thus to take up any lost motion between the cover plate and the housing I0. Thus the plate 10, the cover 90 and the housing 20 cooperate to support the coil unit.

The ignition coil timer distributor unit embodying the present invention comprises three principal sub-assemblies, namely: (l) the subassembly of housing 20 with rotating parts including shaft 21, cam 31 and distributor rotor (2) the ignition coil |00; (3) the distributor cover sub-assembly comprising the cover and the strap 98. Each of these sub-assemblies is completed before the final assembly. The subassembly of rotating parts may include also the lead |35. After the coil |00 is assembled with the housing 2i), the lead |35 is connected to the coil terminal l I3. This is the only Wire required to be connected in the final assembly of the subassemblies. The attachment of the cover 90 to the housing 20 automatically establishes electrical connection between the strap 98 and the coil high tension terminal IUI, and the electrical connection between the current source terminal |30 and the coil terminal H2.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims Which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A coil-timer-distributor-ignition unit comprising a housing providing a timer-chamber and coil-chamber in substantially parallel relation, an ignition timing circuit interrupter within the timer-chamber and operated by a timer-shaft having a bearing therein, a cover for the timerchamber, a distributor rotor rotatably supported by the timer-chamber cover, reduction gears supported by the timer-chamber cover for connecting the rotor With the timer-shaft, an ignition coil located within the coil chamber and electrically connected with the timer-interrupter and distributor rotor, and a distributor cover enclosing the rotor, timer-chamber cover and ignition coil, and providing spark plug cable sockets and associated distributor posts with which the rotor cooperates to distribute sparking impulses.

2. An ignition unit according to claim 1 in which the distributor cover carries a center contact engaged by a resilient conductor on the distributor rotor, and a strap connected with the center contact engages a high tension terminal of the ignition coil when the cover is attached to the housing.

3. An ignition unit according to claim 1 in which the coil has a resilient conductor extending from one of its low tension terminals and in which the distributor cover carries a current source terminal engaged by said resilient low tension conductor when the distributor cover is attached to the housing.

4. An ignition unit according to claim 1 in which the housing, the timer-chamber cover and the distributor -cover all cooperate to locate and retain the coil Within its chamber, said distributor cover closing the terminal carrying end of the coil.

JOHN T. FITZSIMMONS. HERMAN L. HARTZELL. 

